TUSKER IS SHOT DEAD 24 hrs AHEAD OF SCHEDULE Options

[Game Warden]

ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE

6th January 2007

FAREWELL TO TUSKER

It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce that Tusker/Dustbin was shot at around 11:30 this morning.

We received well over 4000 signatures from people all over the world in a desperate plea for his life to be spared. The shooting was scheduled for Monday, the 7th January so it came as a great shock to hear that he was shot today.

Tusker's life has been on the line for some time now but the New Year's party that was held at Charara this year was the straw that broke the camel's back. We have had reports of drugs and alcohol being abused at the party by some of the youngsters who attended. It has been confirmed that they were pulling hairs out of Tusker's tail and slapping him on the rump and running away laughing. They were driving around the camp at high speeds, flashing headlights in Tusker's eyes and hooting at him and we have also had reports of fireworks and beer bottles being thrown at him. Despite all this senseless abuse, we have had no reports of Tusker hurting anyone which is testament to his basic good nature.

His crime, which lead to his death penalty is that he damaged some cars in his search for food. It is not clear how many cars were damaged. We have had reports that the number was between 2 and 7.

The authorities will probably argue that they have a responsibility to protect the humans and that it would only have been a matter of time before somebody was killed by Tusker. Our argument is that a party of this magnitude, which is attended every year by thousands of youngsters should not be held in a National Park. This is why it is called a "game reserve" and not a "people reserve". There is a sign near the entrance of Charara camp that states "No loud music after 9pm" and "no fireworks". The proprietors of Charara camp hire the biggest music system in Zimbabwe and the music is so loud, it can be heard from 2 km away. Where were the organizers of the party when the youngsters started throwing fireworks at Tusker? How do people bring their children up so that they behave in such a despicable manner?

We would like thank all you wonderful people, from the bottom of our hearts for trying to help us to save Tusker. We had no idea he was loved so much by so many people all over the world. Zimbabwe, and indeed the world has suffered a great loss today.

Goodbye my big friend!

Best wishes

Johnny Rodrigues

Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Tel: 263 4 336710
Fax/Tel: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211

I would like to add my own words here for what they are worth. Working in a voluntary position with Johnny Rodrigues and the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force I am shocked and saddened by not only the events leading up to this decision but also the manner in which it was done, a day ahead of schedule despite the best urgent efforts of everyone concerned around the world. I am not an emotional person but feel truly saddened by the heartless way in which this was conducted: over a 1000 signatures had already been sent to the National Parks Board in advance of the joint Safaritalk and ZCTF petition: it would have been an excellent opportunity for the Zim authorities to work with the Wildlife Agencies and not against them and would have demonstrated good public relations for the county's tourism board.

I would personally like to thank all of you who spared the time to sign the petitions and despite Tusker's death it will still be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in Zimbabwe.

We also wish to implement a number of measures which have been discussed including the installation of strong elephant proof bins and stark warning boards about the feeding of wildlife which will include graphic pictures of animals having been shot dead: Shock tactics. Another line is supply all tourists to the park with wildlife proof trunks (excuse the pun) which would be signed for at the gate and used for the duration of their stay.

Please contact myself safaritalk@netcabo.pt or Johnny Rodrigues directly to discuss this. We cannot let Tusker's death to be in vain.

Matthew

The official online petition which was collated by Safaritalk (Good work Jude!) will remain online though closed, so you can see the support which Tusker received in the hours leading up to this act taking place. It can be found here:

www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/628552210

[Game Warden]

ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE

6th January 2007

FAREWELL TO TUSKER

It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce that Tusker/Dustbin was shot at around 11:30 this morning.

We received well over 4000 signatures from people all over the world in a desperate plea for his life to be spared. The shooting was scheduled for Monday, the 7th January so it came as a great shock to hear that he was shot today.

Tusker's life has been on the line for some time now but the New Year's party that was held at Charara this year was the straw that broke the camel's back. We have had reports of drugs and alcohol being abused at the party by some of the youngsters who attended. It has been confirmed that they were pulling hairs out of Tusker's tail and slapping him on the rump and running away laughing. They were driving around the camp at high speeds, flashing headlights in Tusker's eyes and hooting at him and we have also had reports of fireworks and beer bottles being thrown at him. Despite all this senseless abuse, we have had no reports of Tusker hurting anyone which is testament to his basic good nature.

His crime, which lead to his death penalty is that he damaged some cars in his search for food. It is not clear how many cars were damaged. We have had reports that the number was between 2 and 7.

The authorities will probably argue that they have a responsibility to protect the humans and that it would only have been a matter of time before somebody was killed by Tusker. Our argument is that a party of this magnitude, which is attended every year by thousands of youngsters should not be held in a National Park. This is why it is called a "game reserve" and not a "people reserve". There is a sign near the entrance of Charara camp that states "No loud music after 9pm" and "no fireworks". The proprietors of Charara camp hire the biggest music system in Zimbabwe and the music is so loud, it can be heard from 2 km away. Where were the organizers of the party when the youngsters started throwing fireworks at Tusker? How do people bring their children up so that they behave in such a despicable manner?

We would like thank all you wonderful people, from the bottom of our hearts for trying to help us to save Tusker. We had no idea he was loved so much by so many people all over the world. Zimbabwe, and indeed the world has suffered a great loss today.

Goodbye my big friend!

Best wishes

Johnny Rodrigues

Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Tel: 263 4 336710
Fax/Tel: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211

I would like to add my own words here for what they are worth. Working in a voluntary position with Johnny Rodrigues and the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force I am shocked and saddened by not only the events leading up to this decision but also the manner in which it was done, a day ahead of schedule despite the best urgent efforts of everyone concerned around the world. I am not an emotional person but feel truly saddened by the heartless way in which this was conducted: over a 1000 signatures had already been sent to the National Parks Board in advance of the joint Safaritalk and ZCTF petition: it would have been an excellent opportunity for the Zim authorities to work with the Wildlife Agencies and not against them and would have demonstrated good public relations for the county's tourism board.

I would personally like to thank all of you who spared the time to sign the petitions and despite Tusker's death it will still be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in Zimbabwe.

We also wish to implement a number of measures which have been discussed including the installation of strong elephant proof bins and stark warning boards about the feeding of wildlife which will include graphic pictures of animals having been shot dead: Shock tactics. Another line is supply all tourists to the park with wildlife proof trunks (excuse the pun) which would be signed for at the gate and used for the duration of their stay.

Please contact myself safaritalk@netcabo.pt or Johnny Rodrigues directly to discuss this. We cannot let Tusker's death to be in vain.

Matthew

The official online petition which was collated by Safaritalk (Good work Jude!) will remain online though closed, so you can see the support which Tusker received in the hours leading up to this act taking place. It can be found here:

www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/628552210

[divewop]

I am so sorry to hear this has happened in addition to what Tusker endured at this "party."
It just makes me sick to my stomach that his life was snuffed out so unnecessarily. Is there no
regard for the life of an animal so magnificent? An animal habituated by humans, then put to death by
those he trusted. Why do we humans continue to want to gain animals' trust, just to turn
around and kill them?

To say I'm angry and upset would be an understatement!!

Whatever I can do to help this from happening again, please let me know.

[Jude]

I sent the Petition to Mr Chimuti and others this morning at 6.00 AM (Australian Time) as I said I would.
I prefaced it with this:
___________________________________________________________________
Dear Mr Chimuti - On advice from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force we had
been told that discussions were to be held today 7 January 2007. Around the world many people expressed great concern for Tusker's life - particularly as his situation has been caused by humans. I am sure that as each of these 1800 people (signatures below) discover that Tusker is already dead - they will be deeply saddened and horrified by this turn of events as am I.

It is evident that measures need to be taken to ensure that wildlife is
protected from people feeding and interacting in inappropriate ways with
wild animals at Charara. Let us NOW concentrate on putting in place measures
to ensure that this never happens again.

Yours sincerely

Jude Price

__________________________________________________________________
1800 signatures followed.

[Game Warden]

Hello there Gorilla Girl

Thankyou for your comment.

I have personally spoken with Johnny Rodrigues in Zimbabwe this afternoon and during an emotional phone call he stated how touched he was by everyone's efforts from around the world. He called each of the signatories a hero for being a part of the protest which we had hoped would work, however as he explains without notice the decision was moved forward 24 hours.

He also said that despite the failure of the last translocation effort one of South Africa's wildlife translocation companies had offered to relocate Tusker in Zim to a more suitable location for nothing, such was the sincerity of feeling for this well known elephant.

We will be looking to implement those changes to the lodge and others and if people should wish to become involved they should contact Johnny directly: Safaritalk takes no part in any donation process. Therefore I'll be publishing all necessary donation details for the Z.C.T.F here in good time.

It is becoming a desperate situation in Zim and Johnny stated that in various discussions with agencies on the ground, including those with a professional hunting background, there is a strong belief that in five years much of the country's wildlife will be decimated and where once the tourist income was high there will be none.

Very soon I will be publishing various video footage of Tusker through Safaritalk's YouTube channel and other images, perhaps if anyone has personal recollections of Tusker and photographs they would post them here.

Once more I'd like to express Johnny's gratitude for all your compassion and we hope that in some way, despite the negative impact of this killing, something positive will come out of it.

Matt

[ozzigirl]

I am writing to express my extreme concern over the way this whole process has been handled. As you say, Game Reserves are set aside for the protection of game, not for the entertainment of people. The people who made this decision placed the value of a few replaceable and probably insured cars over the value of one of the most wonderful species in the world. One for whom game reserves where once established.

While i recognise the fact that these reserves have a need to generate an income that should not be achieved at the cost of those animals for which the reserve is established. An animal the size of an elephant needs to be managed to ensure that it does not become so habituated to the presence of people that it loses its natural reserve. The mistakes that led to Tuskers death started a long time ago.

Measures must be put in place immediately to ensure that Game Reserves remember their primary objective which is to preserve the wonderfully rich array of wildlife that Africa has. On which the countries economy depends if tourism is to survive. But it is a responsibility of all participants in this process to ensure that the welfare of the animals is of pre-eminent importance and that these creatures are managed in a way that allows them to escape the terrible fate, and undignified treatment of this wonderful beast.

The licensee of the Charara Camp should be stripped of his licence and more stringent conditions placed on any subsequent licensee. The size of groups entering the park should be limited to numbers that can be adequately managed and protected by properly trained personnel and no party should be permitted that it not thoroughly policed to prevent any inappropriate interactions between visitors and wildlife - lessons MUST be learned from this tragedy.

[predator]

Measures must be put in place immediately to ensure that Game Reserves remember their primary objective which is to preserve the wonderfully rich array of wildlife that Africa has. On which the countries economy depends if tourism is to survive. But it is a responsibility of all participants in this process to ensure that the welfare of the animals is of pre-eminent importance and that these creatures are managed in a way that allows them to escape the terrible fate, and undignified treatment of this wonderful beast.

The licensee of the Charara Camp should be stripped of his licence and more stringent conditions placed on any subsequent licensee. The size of groups entering the park should be limited to numbers that can be adequately managed and protected by properly trained personnel and no party should be permitted that it not thoroughly policed to prevent any inappropriate interactions between visitors and wildlife - lessons MUST be learned from this tragedy.

I agree. Sadly tourists who are largely responsible for the problem dont see the consequences of their actions and its usually the animals that suffer. There needs to be (both in this park and ALL others around Africa), much better education of visitors, and penalties for breaking the rules.

As an example, in Namibia's Etosha national park, tourists are given a sheet of the rules when they enter the park, but its only in English, so Italians, Germans, French and others often claim (if they are caught) that they didnt understand the rules. Namibia should make sure it hands out the rules in multiple languages.

Most parks have very few staff and rangers so tourists driving off-road or getting out of vehicles where they shouldnt are unlikely to get caught. There needs to be more investment in staff to enforce the rules, and when people are caught then they should be IMMEDIATELY removed from the park and banned for say 1 week. A second offence should result in a 12 month ban and a third offence in a permanent ban. Its only when certain tourists realise they could have their holiday cut short and ruined if they behave irresponsibly that they will start to take notice.

[Mama Tembo]

Dear Friends:

I am saddened, indeed heartbroken, and infuriated at what has happend to Tusker. There is absoloutely no excuse for this, either on the part of Charara, its guests or even the wildlife authorities who needlessly took his life.

Are the authorities without the knowledge of translocation, or perhaps they just don't care? This is even more infuriating when an organization offered to move Tusker free of charge and they decided against it. If Kenya can translocate 250 elephants in several weeks, why couldn't these people safely translocate Tusker to an area safe from human habitation?!

Charara itself has to take a large part of the blame for allowing parties such as this to occur. And if they do occur, they should have insisted people harrassing wildlife be banished from the park/reserve. The people attending the party also should have to shoulder a big part of the blame. Had they acted differently, Tusker's death would not have happened.

The rights of Charara to own/lease this property should be negated by the wildlife and legal authorities and insure that whomever takes it over is wildlife protective. All the guests that registered to attend this party should also be legally charged for animal abuse and fined BIG TIME.

How and when did people develop the attitude that humans are better than wildlife? I just can't understand it. Wildlife was on the continent of Africa long before people inhabited it and wildlife deserves as many rights and protection as humans have.

Rest in peace Tusker. You will be missed.

Mama Tembo

[katlady20]

This is one reason why I dislike, even hate humans so much. You all are giving them excuses; the language was wrong, he had grown used to humans, there were not enough rangers, etc, etc, etc.

The truth of the matter is that more and more humans could care less about animals, could care less about the care and feeding of mother earth and could care less about their impact on it. These people who poked at Tusker, prodded him, pulled his tail, shot fireworks off, threw things at him were idiots, bums, drunkards, worthless irresponsible humans being as inhumane as humans can be. On top of it, you have a park authority taken things into their own hands killing the animal when in reality the people are the ones who should be taken out to the back forty. Humans need to be sterilized so there are less and less of us until we finally disappear and let the animals have the planet back, they take better care of it.

I am disgusted at stories such as this one. As an American I can only hope none of my American tax dollars go to such a country as this one where the people think killing an elephant is the answer to human problems. I am ashamed to be a human

God should be ashamed of creating humans.................

[Lorene]

Hello,

I'm Lorene, I used to make a publication in Zimbabwe about the impact of trophy hunting on lion. I know very well Johnny Rodrigues, we made some support together and I still do it from France.
I am really sad about Tusker, in fact I have a blog where I asked to the French people to sign this petition.
But how come Tusker was shot before the shuddle? What's happened?
Anyway I invited you to visit my blog even if noone here talk french, there is an extrait of my publication and this one is writing in english: http://sosanimauxafrique.over-blog.com/

Best regards to all off you.

[dikdik]

It’s very sad, yet very predictable. It is standard policy to kill any animals that may harm humans. It is true that a tame wild animal is very dangerous. We humans should think before we feed the animals in game reserves.

More alarming than anything was what I got off the ZCTF website. This is just one elephant! Take a look at the website and you will see the state of Zimbabwe’s wildlife, or what is left of it. There are more pressing issues with the endangered sable dying in captivity while courts make decisions amid huge poaching problems. They say that 80% of Zims wildlife has perished. This is a case of human on human conflict impacting on the animals.

Check out www.zctf.mweb.co.zw

Seriously scary stuff!!!

[cvfa]

I am not good with words - all I can say is the horror I felt when I first read the appeal for signatures for his petition to save his life - and double horror and shock to learn that he had been MURDERED, yes - that is exactly what it was ! Being so far away, one feels helpless - such a desire to be able to do more, but it seems that his fate was pre determined by some very evil people and we are so broken hearted - so sorry, and for all those who are there working, who did what we could to try to prevent this tragic taking of such a precious life.

My very dear friend, CVFA Patron, Singer/Songwriter Maria Daines put these words together just now when I sent her the news and I would like to share it with you here - now.

TO LIVE IN THE SOUL OF AN ELEPHANT
IS TO LIVE FOREVER....

In memory of Tusker



Tusker, you had a sense of humour
But you were not allowed to smile
Tusker, you trusted humans
Yet you walked the lonely mile
Tusker, how could they do it?
You were happy with your life
Tusker, we see through it...
They claim that they are 'right'
Tusker, how could they hurt you?
A creature wild, untamed
Cruelty has no virtue
Your brutal death be shamed...

Maria Daines
2008
www.maria-daines.com
www.myspace.com/musicunitedforanimals
www.myspace.com/mariadaines

May our dear Tusker never be forgotten - and know that I will do whatever I can from here to support any efforts to ensure this doesn't happen - again !

[Game Warden]

Knowing Tusker: a photographic recollection by Johnny Rodrigues

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

© Johnny Rodrigues - The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

[Game Warden]

Donating to The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

I have been asked in a number of emails how people can donate to help the ZCTF with their work in Zimbabwe and I am listing on behalf of Johnny Rodrigues the means with which to do so. (Please note that Safaritalk plays no part in the donation process and you are advised, if wishing to donate to contact Johnny Rodrigues personally before doing so.)

With regard to donations, there are several options for those who wish to help:

There is a Paypal account on my website: www.zimbabwe-art.com through which payments can be made quickly online.

We have a pounds sterling account in South Africa. Transfers can be done but not online. Donors have to physically go to the bank to do it:

ACCOUNT NAME: Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
BANK: ABSA
BRANCH: 7 Wolff Street, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 884155 GBP 104610
SITE CODE: 8487
SWIFT CODE: ABSA ZA JJ

We have a USD currency account in South Africa which takes any currency except SA Rand and Zim dollars. The same applies to this account. Transfers can't be done online.

ACCOUNT NAME: Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
BANK:ABSA
BRANCH: 7 Wolff Street, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 884155 USD 104610
SITE CODE: 8487
SWIFT CODE: ABSA ZA JJ

We have a rand account for South Africa donors only:

ACCOUNT NAME: J R Impex & Distributors cc
BANK: ABSA
BRANCH: Central Avenue, Kempton Park, Johannesburg. South Africa
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4044506460
BANK CLEARANCE NUMBER: 630542

We have a Zimbabwean bank account for Zim donors only:

ACCOUNT NAME: Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
BANK: Barclays
BRANCH: Highlands
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0455478
BRANCH NUMBER: 2143

Lastly, we can receive cheques in any currency made in favour of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and posted to:

Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
3 Fairbairn Drive
Mount Pleasant
HARARE.

Regards

Johnny Rodrigues

[snakesteve]

What a sad outrage! To kill this wonderful creature because he had become habituated to humans was simply wrong and should NEVER have been allowed to happen!

I once worked with habituated Black Bears in a National Park in the USA. Like Tusker these bears had been fed by stupid, uncaring humans who just wanted a photo and a thrill. Unlike Tusker however, these bears were not shot. I trapped them, tranqualized them, tattooed them for later ID if they were poached, rubbed them with my bare hands so they would smell like a human when they awakened, loaded them into a transfer cage then relocated them many miles away into the backcountry "bush." During this entire process they were imobalized by the tranqualizer but they could still see, hear and smell everything going on around them so when they awoke they would be terrified of humans and never again come anywhere near a human. This tactic usually worked very well but if the bear became a nuisence again we would relocate it even further away giving it another chance to live as a wild bear should. If it came back a third time it was still not shot--it was taken to game lands where it could take its chances with hunters--but at least we gave it several chances to survive.

Tusker was not given this chance.

Tusker was shot and probably sold for his ivory and meat. This has happened not because of a problem Elephant...it has happened because of problem people. It has happened because the rules were shunned in favor of a big payoff from the party or from the elephant parts. In my opinion Tusker died because someone somewhere got greedy. If the powers that be had really cared about Tusker they would have moved him deep into the bush when someone offered to help them do so...instead Tusker is now dead.

All animals deserve a chance to survive--from a tiny mouse to a massive Elephant. Do not allow this to happen again--please.

[ozzigirl]

I have continued to ponder the fate of Tusker since my last post, which was an immediate response to the news of his death. I can not help be troubled by the decision bring forward his death by 24 hours. This is the more troubling as it seems a solution to the ‘problem’ was imminent. There does not appear to have been any precipitating factor that could justify this decision and I begin to reach the disturbing conclusion that perhaps this poor beast became the victim of some sort of power struggle, where the need to ‘win’ became more important than the need to protect and conserve the animal.

From the available reports it would seem that despite extreme provocation during a recent party, the animal responded with a gentleness and restraint that would do credit to many humans. So there does not appear to be any immediate threat, represented by the elephant that would justify this action.

It would seem reasonable therefore to require that any process of evaluation and lesson-learning that follows from this should most certainly address the chain of command and decision-making that led to this premature slaughter. Ideally such a process should be initiated voluntarily by the relevant organisation. To be more effective, perhaps it needs to be done by an independent and external commission.

Had the animal responded to the humiliation of New Years Eve in the expected manner, a rapid, on-the-spot assessment may have warranted an earlier execution. However, in the circumstances it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that this was a coldly assessed decision designed to thwart the efforts of that part of the community who wanted to save the animal’s life. Surely this is a strange position for a conservation organisation to adopt?

As I mentioned in my previous post – Game Reserves are set aside for the protection and preservation of wildlife. They are an important resource that contributes strongly to the economy of the country. They are an important resource in educating future generations about the traditional ways of their cultures and the management and care of wild places. They are an important scientific resource that protects genetic diversity and the potential medical and research capabilities of this diversity. They are a valuable asset and even for those of us who may never have an opportunity to enjoy them, they remain a part of our cultural memory and imagination. They must be managed responsibly and with the protection of the native flora and fauna as their core activity.

Income generating activities can be limited to game-free ‘people reserves’ within the park and interaction with wildlife limited to escorted parties whose behaviour may be monitored. Park staff should be provided with the necessary authority to remove people who engage in reckless endangerment of themselves and the wildlife. The priorities of park management must refocus on their primary intent – to protect and strengthen the diversity of native fauna and floraa.

[Game Warden]

People have asked about the prior attempt at relocating Tusker, here is a Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force report from the 13th May 2007 entitled:

ATTEMPTED RELOCATION OF TUSKER

Thank you to the people and companies who assisted us in our attempt to relocate Tusker from Kariba to Gonarezhou. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you view the situation, despite our best efforts, we failed. Tusker is however still alive and well, raiding dustbins at Wild Heritage.

Vicus Coetzee, Clem's son, provided us with an elephant container which Swift Transport collected from Triangle free of charge. When the container arrived in Harare, we found that one door needed to be replaced and it wasn't high enough to accommodate Tusker so Swift Engineering Division replaced the door and heightened the container for us in their workshops. It was a big job and took them the best part of 4 days to complete and once again, they did it free of charge. Thank you very much to the Swift employees who worked tirelessly, Saturday and Sunday included.

SWIFT EMPLOYEES MODIFYING THE CONTAINER

A big thank you to Terrier Services who donated the use of a low bed trailer on which to carry the elephant container. We needed 2 x 20 foot containers with which to build a recovery Boma for Tusker and we would like to thank Mrs Craven of Colbro Transport for lending them to us. A very big thank you also to Kevin Horsley of P & K Haulage who supplied us with the truck and trailer to take the containers to Kariba only requiring us to supply the diesel.

Swift Transport places enormous importance on conservation in Zimbabwe and their generosity knows no bounds. In addition to everything they had already contributed, they also supplied us with a truck to tow the low bed trailer with the elephant container to Kariba and if the relocation had been successful, their truck would have gone all the way to Gonarezhou and back. All they required from us was to replace the fuel used.

We left for Kariba last Friday and spent Saturday organizing for the capture to take place on Sunday. We needed a crane to move the containers to form the recovery boma and this was supplied free of charge, with the exception of fuel by Seppi Sigrist of Kariba to whom we are extremely grateful. We also needed a front end loader to dig a depression in the ground close to where the elephant fell so that the elephant container would be at ground level. This was very kindly supplied by Charles Boddy of the crocodile farm, again only requiring fuel.

A very big thank you to Steve Woodward, Alan Holt and Colin Ferguson for physically getting involved and assisting.

The veterinary surgeons, Keith Ducklow and Lisa Marabini arrived on Saturday. These two vets are very special people with a deep passion for wildlife and we had the benefit of their very professional and compassionate skills. Their only concern was the welfare of Tusker and they refused to accept any payment for the fantastic job they did. They are true conservationists and we don't have enough words to express our gratitude to them.

On Sunday morning, we placed a feeding block in an open area in front of Wild Heritage where we planned to dart Tusker. We found him ambling around the lodges at Wild Heritage and I managed to get him to follow me to the feeding block, luring him with oranges. He followed me trustingly like a puppy which made me feel very guilty because I was luring him out of the only home he had known for the past 30 or 40 years. I had a deep sense of sadness at the unfairness of it all because he was there long before the humans invaded his territory. I had to keep reminding myself that if we failed to remove him, he would be shot.

LURING TUSKER TO THE FEEDING BLOCK

KEITH IN POSITION READY TO FIRE THE DART

All went according to plan and Keith fired the dart as Tusker reached the feeding block. When he felt the dart, he started running towards me, probably thinking I was responsible for the stinging sensation in his rump. Fortunately, I managed to veer off to the left and he ran on for a couple of hundred metres and then collapsed. Keith and Lisa immediately got to work checking his vital signs, making sure he could breath, removing the dart and keeping him cool.

DARTED - RED MARK ON THE RUMP

KEITH AND LISA IN ATTENDANCE

We were racing against time then because we couldn't leave Tusker unconscious for too long without endangering his life. Keith and Lisa monitored him constantly to make sure no harm came to him. A big thank you to Mike Hodson who did a sterling job of keeping him cool with water.

Meanwhile, we immediately got to work digging the depression and building the boma.

KEEPING TUSKER COOL

DIGGING THE DEPRESSION

Once the depression was deep enough, the Swift truck reversed in with the elephant container and Seppi positioned the 2 x 20 foot containers with his crane. The containers did not suffice so the P & K Haulage truck reversed his trailer in to close off the boma.

BUILDING THE BOMA

P & K HAULAGE MOVING IN TO ASSIST

An hour and a half had passed since Tusker was darted and Lisa insisted that he be woken up immediately because his breathing was changing so the reversal was administered. We waited quietly for a few minutes and then he regained consciousness and stood up with no fuss whatsoever. We tried to entice him with oranges to walk into the container for the next few hours. At one point, he put his great foot into the container and then changed his mind and refused to walk in. We considered forcing him in but we just couldn't bring ourselves to do it. He never at any time became aggressive and wasn't a threat to anyone.

We finally decided that everybody should leave. There were a lot of spectators and the vets felt that it didn't help that Tusker could hear and smell the people. They thought if we left him in peace, he may get hungry and walk into the container of his own accord to eat some of the inviting food we had put in there for him.

TUSKER AWAKE

KEITH, LISA AND JOHNNY, WAITING.

We were all hungry and exhausted so we went back to our cottage in Charara, very kindly provided by National Anglers' Union, leaving a handful of people, including Seppi and a couple of National Parks scouts to keep an eye on Tusker and to close the doors if he walked into the container. We decided that if he still had not budged by 10 o'clock that night, we would release him.

We went back to the site an hour later to find that he had forced his way out of the boma, damaging some of the dropsides on the P & K Haulage trailer in the process. Upon inspection, the vets found that his stools in the boma were very loose and he would therefore not have survived the trip to Gonarezhou anyway. To be honest, we were quite relieved that we had failed in our mission and I decided to try and find a way for Tusker to stay in Kariba where he belongs.

The following morning, we were very surprised and relieved to hear that Tusker was back at Wild Heritage rummaging through the dustbins as if nothing had happened so it doesn't seem as if our thwarted efforts traumatized him in any way.

Thanks very much to Keith Ballantyne of KB Engineering in Kariba who, together with Seppi Sigrist assisted us in offloading the empty elephant crate which he has offered to modify further.

Upon our return to Harare, I went to National Parks Headquarters and told them what had transpired. They showed compassion for Tusker and agreed that he can remain in Kariba. They won't shoot him as long as he doesn't hurt anyone, however, there are conditions to this reprieve. It was agreed that the reason Tusker has become so habituated to humans is because people feed the wild animals. There are signs in every National Park in the country, including Kariba, prohibiting the feeding of wild animals but there are people who ignore this. The ZCTF and National Parks are now working on implementing strict regulations with regard to this and anyone caught feeding animals in future will be subject to very harsh penalties. Vehicles will be searched upon entering a National Parks area and any citrus found will be confiscated. We appeal to everyone to comply with the authorities' requirements. They only have the welfare of the wildlife at heart and it is not their intention to inconvenience anyone.

There are various other measures we have promised National Parks we will implement to try and keep the elephants out of camping areas to ensure the safety of the tourists and local holiday makers. We will be calling a meeting soon in Kariba, which we hope will be attended by all those concerned, to discuss these measures.

We would like to thank Mr Chimuti, Mrs Thom and the Chief Warden of National Parks for being so understanding about Tusker and for giving us the permit to relocate him in the first place. Thanks to them, tourists who come to Zimbabwe will still have the privilege of seeing this amazing animal.

We are extremely grateful to the individuals and companies who came forward with fuel to help us save Tusker's life. Although his life was not saved by relocating him as we had planned, we believe that the amount of assistance we received in attempting the relocation demonstrated how well-loved he is and this is why NationalParks decided to give him a second chance. If any funds are left over from this attempted relocation, we will use them towards the implementation of measures to ensure that Tusker can remain where he is. We would like to acknowledge the following companies and groups for their assistance:

• Sandvik
• Mark Gascoigne
• Marineland Kariba
• Alro Shipping
• Lyn Beahan/Peter Weinand
• Harmony Projects of Canada
• Packrite
• Nets & Ropes
• The Triangle Community
• The Kariba Community

Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

[Skelm]

I went to Mana Pools in 1980 and the Chikwena camp run by John Evans was great. Only 8 huts along the Zambizi river. It was me and 4 Belgium tourists.
In the camp, which didn't have any fences, lived 2 elephant males, about 16 - 17 years old.
One was called Sabi and he loved to scare you and Spot, who was very friendly.

The game ranger told me that once there was a German tourist who slapped Spot on his bum and got nailed by him.
Spot crushed his leg, which had to be amputated and this German demanded that Spot should be shot.
The game rangers said that they would shoot this tourist before they would shoot Spot.

The Evans family lived in a tent which was open and once Spot was touching the little daughter of four years, sleeping in her bed, with his trunk.
Sadly this little girl was attacked by a young lion, she survived but had a damage to her spine, so her legs were paralysed. There is always a risk to live in the wild but a lot less then living in a big city, with trafic, robbers, and drugdealers.

We were in an open Land-rover with the front window down and suddenly a herd of Elephants came out of the bush and crossed the road. John slamped on his breaks and the motor stalled. He got his rifle out and told the other tourists to be quite as they were japping away. I sat next to John with my camera on my lap.
The matriarch came back to the road and started to attack. She came in full speed but John shouted at her and she stopped and disappeared into the bush.
He started the car and gave me his rifle to hold and he asked me why I didn't take a photo?
I was just holding on for the impact and forgot about my camera. It would have been an amazing photo though.
Oh well it is still in my memory.

We also walked and found a buffalo calf, still alive but his guts were gored. I asked John why he didn't put the calf out of his missery. He said that we disturbed a lioness teaching her cubs to hunt, so when we retreated, she will finish the job. That is what we did.

Mana Pools, such a sanctury for the wildlife.

[Game Warden]

A personal message from Johnny Rodrigues of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to all you wonderful people who made such a monumental effort to help us to try and save Tusker's life by signing the petition. I am so very sorry we failed - I feel that I've let the whole world down. I had no idea the authorities were going to shoot him ahead of schedule. If they had kept to their word, I am confident we would have been able to save him with the amount of support we had from all of you.

At around 11:30 on Sunday morning, I suddenly had a terrible feeling of impending doom and nausea welled up in my throat. My head started pounding and I had an awful feeling that Tusker was gone. I then downloaded emails and there was an email from a lady in Charara who said she had just heard 4 shots from a heavy calibre rifle and she was sure Tusker had been shot. I checked the time she had sent her email and it was 11:26. I tried to phone Kariba but all the lines were down so I emailed the lady and asked her to please try and find out what the shots were, but in my heart, I knew what they were. She responded quickly saying that she was too scared to go and ask so I waited. A couple of hours later, the email I was dreading, confirming Tusker's death came through. I was physically ill.

I am going to make sure Tusker didn't die in vain and with the support I've got from all of you, I am confident this can be achieved.

The first thing I will be working on is putting a stop to any more parties taking place in Charara, or any National Parks area for that matter. If I need to take legal action against those concerned, then I will do so.

Secondly, I would like to try and raise funds to have a soapstone sculpture made, a replica of Tusker which will be placed at the gate of Charara camp so that nobody will forget the terrible consequences of not having respect for wildlife.

Thirdly, last year, National Parks, in partnership with Lake Harvest Fisheries (Kariba) built a new crocodile farm near Charara as a commercial venture and it was authorized that 100 elephants per year will be shot in the Kariba area to feed the crocodiles. Lake Harvest Fisheries export fish to several countries in the world and Safaritalk supporters could assist by boycotting their produce.

The fourth, and most disturbing fact that has transpired recently is that National Parks are currently trying to obtain approval from the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources to kill elephants to produce biltong (jerky) to be sold countrywide in retail outlets as part of sustainable use of Zimbabwe's natural resources. This is unacceptable and we have to try and put a stop to it.

If we can achieve these goals, then Tusker's death will not have been in vain. His death will result in saving the lives of hundreds of elephants in Zimbabwe.

If anyone can assist or offer suggestions, please contact me - contact details below.

Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

Tel: 263 4 336710
Fax/Tel: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Satellite phone: +881631519248
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211
Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw

[Jude]

THE PETITION

The petition raised on Saturday afternoon (Aus time) had received 1800 signatures by Monday morning (Aus time). It was sent to Mr Chimuti at 6 AM.

Since then a further 232 signatures were gathered, some obviously aware of Tuskers death, others coming in and not noting the update. To view the petition and comments click here:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/628552210

EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE ZIMBABWE TOURIST BOARD

A comment from one signature made after Tuskers death states:
If people want to have a greater impact on changing policy to reduce tragedies like this in the future, they should contact the Zimbabwe Tourism board at info@ztazim.co.zw and tell them how this event will influence their decision to visit Zimbabwe.

[Game Warden]

Hi Karrie, and welcome.

Firstly no sirs here, call us by our Avatar names or real names, if permitted. I am the Game Warden, but my real name is Matthew. Some reveal their names some don't. We are all the same here though.

The best person to contact with regard to donations is Johnny himself in Zimbabwe, though he is overwhelmed at present with emails: perhaps the best step would be to start collecting and keep us and him updated through this thread. Give it a couple of days before dropping him a note.

There are a couple of options of where to go now and we are looking at preparing a preformatted letter that can be sent as an email or standard mail to the Zim National Parks Board, your local Zimbabwean Embassy and so forth. As soon as it is done I will publish it here for everyone to have access.

Jude was instrumental in bringing the petition to a wide audience and so I'm sure your message here will be a good compliment for her.

Good luck with your efforts and keep us informed of how you go.

Matthew